Speedometer.



S. A. ASQUITH.

SPEEDOMBTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 5, 191s,

l,093,166 Patented Apr.14,1914

unrran srarnsrnrnnr onction.

STEAD A. ASQUITH, or WATERLOO, IOWA, AssIoNon OFQONE-HALF To' -@Kelvir 1R.

ASQUITH, OF WATER-Loo, IOWA. 1 i

sPEEDoivrEr-ER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented apr. 1a, 19214.

Application filed December 5, 1913. Sera1No. 804,868.-

To 'all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, STEAD A. ASQUITH, a citizen ofthe United States of America, and a resident of lVaterloo,v Blackhawk county, Iowa, have invented certain new and kuseful Improvements in Speedometers, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in speedometers, and the object of my improvement is to furnish a speed-indicating mechanism for such a device which shall be at once positive in action, free from tremor, and have its accuracy unaffected by wear,

temperature, magnetism or age. This Object I have attained by the mechanism which is hereinafter d escribed and f zlaimed, and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is vertical central section of my improved speedometer. Fig. 2 is a transverse verticall sectlonof the casing of 'said speedometer, with parts of the interior mechanism ,broken and sectioned away. Figf 1s a vert-ical central section of a modified form of .my speedometer. Fig. 4l 1s a `I'nagnified detail view invertieal section of speed is to be indicated. Within said casing is a fixed frame 19 comprising larcshaped arms fitting the interior of the casing, and integral with an inwardly-projecting hollow cylindrical part 20, whose hol-.

low contains the anti-friction bearing raceway parts-27 and 28 in pairs containing anti-friction balls 29, and fitting a shaft 26, on which is secured the worm 30 between said bearings. The lower end of the shaft 26 is connected 'to the body 32, within the inclosinghollow casting by means of a universal joint 31. To the inner end of the sha-ft 26, a' cup-shaped body 9 is coaxiallyA secured by means of a screw 25. The outer side of the cup 9 has an annular shoulder 10 formed thereabout. l

On the upper ends of the curved parts of the body 19l is secured a disk 23 by means of the screws 24, which is centrally orifced by reason of the cutting' of a tongue-shaped piece 14 therefrom, said piece 14 being then bent downwardly at anangle to the disk with its end then offset, as shown'in said Fig. 1, to be parallel to the disk, and located about midway between the center of the disk and the inner end of the shaft 26.-

The end of 'said tongue 14 is vertically orifioed to movably receive the vertical rotatable spindle 15, whose upper end is secured to the inner extremity of the coiled spring V22. The numeral 18 denotes an arm secured upon said disk to have one end project over the opening therein, and having an orifice in which is placed a hollow jeweled bearing 17 adapted to seat the rotatable spindle 15. A short' standard 21 is secured to the top of the arm 18, and to it is secured the outer end of the said coiled spring 22. The numeral 12 denotes a U-shaped body, the upper end of which is orificed with the lowerend of the spindle 1.5 seated fxedly in it to project be low and have itsvlower end rotatably` seated lin a cap-jewel in the bracket 14.

The numeral 3 denotes a hollow cylindrical body. preferably made quite thin and of some light material such as aluminium, and which has its upper edge continued inwardly angularly to form an annular horizontal plate 1. whose inner portion 2 is bent obl-iquely downwardly and inwardly. and integral wth a central depressed diskshaped part, coaxial with the spindle 15 and the shaft 26, and secured to the lower end of `the U-shaped body 12. by means ofl a rivet 13.

.-The numeral 16 denotes a fixed arm projecting from the spindle 15 and secured to the flat part 1 of the body 3 ixedly.

The numerals 6 and 7 denote tlat horilz'ontally spaced rings which are alternated "with each other in a desired plurality, and

which are'respectively mounted upon the bodies 9 and 3. m the following manner:

The rings 7 have their inner edges spaced' from said body 9. while their outer edges are bent upwardly vertically to form circular upwardly-directed iianges l8. To assemble the rings 6 and 7 in proper relation to each Aat other, as shown in said Fig. 4, it isy necessary to first place the lowermost. ring 7 down over the outside of the cup-shaped body 9, to a position a little lowei than 4the shoulder 10 thereon. Then, one of the other rings 6 is carried down over the body 9 to rest closely and ttingly upon said shoulder or shelf 10. The diameter of the ring 6 being less than that of the ring 7, its outer edge will be spaced apart vfrom the flange 8 of the latter. Another of the rings 7 is then. brought down over the ,body 9 to rest upon the upper edges of the raisedflange 8 on the lowermost like ring 7, which spaces it awayl from the ring 6 located thereunder. In this manner, the space between the top of the body 9 and the lowermost ring 7 is filled up with the spaced alternated rings Gand 7, except that the 'uppermost ring 6 isa little belowthe upper edge of the body 9.

- In order to space the alternated rings 6 apart to keep them equally spaced between the alternated rings 7 the cylindrical rings 11 are used as spacers between the rings 6,

and seated removably in contact with theouter wall of vthebody 9. l The pile of rings A6 and the spacers 11, thus formed,'are 'held xedly upon the body 9 by means of an interiorly threadedring 5, placed removably upon the upper threaded end of' said body 9 to bear upon the uppermost ring 6. The

- cylindrical hollow body 3 is, after the said Adisks have been assembled as above described, seated over said disks with its .inner wall in Contactv withv the vouter walls of the flanges 8 on the disk 7. l There are a plural-y ity of points 4 provided on the lowermost circular edge of the cylinder 3, and these are bent over inwardly sovas to'uphold'the lowermost disk 7, as shownin Fig. 4. The Vldisks 7 are thus held securely to the body 3 to ro- Y tate therewithbetween the 'alternated disks 6, which are secured to the hollow body 9.

When the coupledA shaft-parts 3 2 and 26 are rotated by means of the driving' connections to the wheels of the vehicle, the same rotation is imparted to the cup-shaped body 9 and to the connected disks 6. The disks 6,

when placed into relatively rapid rotation, pull with them, by adhesion, the air moleculesfin contact therewith, which thus cre# ates a strain' or pull uponthe vother air molemiles-situated between them and the adja- -l'f der tension the coiledsp'ring22.

cent surfaces of the other disks 7, and this -strain or pull, or suction, exerts a tractive effect upon the disks 7, tending to pull-them around in the same direction in which the other plates are rotating. l The rotatory movement thus imparted to the disks 7 is transmitted to the spindle 15 through the contacting v hollow body 3, and thus the turning spindle 15 moves more or less, and places un- Referring to Fig. 2,'it Willrbe seenthat the outer cylindrical surface ofthe cylindrical body 3 has a graduated scalefmarked aroundl it at its upper edge, Withnuinerals indicating certain regular graduations of said scale. A screen 46 in said casing 34 covers from view the cylindrical body 3, except for a small open space opposite the window 45 in said casing. The niimber on said scale, which shows through the middle of said opening, indicates the speed in miles per hour in which the vehicle is progressing, since the part 3 is moved around more or less according to the lgreater or less tractive efort exerted thereupon throughthe intermediate air fromthe rotating-disks 6. When the rotation becomes less or the. vehicle stops, theco'iled spring being under tension,

reacts to rotate the cylindrical body 3 in an opposite direction .to the zero point indicated thereon,'or to some intermediate p'oint on the scale. Itis evident thatv the action of this transmission device must be always positive, and that there can be no change in the manner of indicating' the speed of a vehicle.

In Fig.,3 isshown a modified form of my device in this, that instead of using horizontal disks 6 and 7, the alternated vertical 'hollow cylinders37 and 38 are employed. Inthis form of my device, a jeweled bearing is provided inj a hollew'in the upper part of the shaft 26, in which is rotatably through an orificed jeweled bearing 17 and a cross-bar 18' secured on the. frame 1'9, and

`has its upper lend secured to the inner end of `the coiled spring 22. lA disk-shaped plate 'seated the inner or lower end of the spindle 115, said spindle then being passed'upwardly 39 is secured upon the upper end of the shaft 26 by means of a nut 40..vv Said plate 39 is provided with a number of spaced concentric circular grooves 42, asv shown in Fig. 5, in which are fixed the lower edges of-the cylindrical parts 37.' The numeral 35 denotes a circular casting o'r plate secured upon the spindle 15, and upon which is concentricallyl mounted a horizontaldisk 36,

' whose outer parts are bent over'downwardly and vertically toform a hollow cylinder of' the same height as the otherA cylinder 38.l and spaced apart therefrom-.` The plate 36 is providedl with a number of punched-out' tongues/13, which are bent downwardly, and which are then bent over outwardlyl to engage the inwardly flanged ltop edges/i4 of thecylinders 38 betweenthem. In 'this way, the cylinders are suspended in spaced relation between the cylinders 37 `When the disk;39 is rotated by means of the .rotation ofthe shaft 26,"the cylinders '37 are likewise' rotated, exercising `through the intermediate air` a like tractive elfec't upon the interposed cylinders '38 to that; already described "in causing rotation of the spindle; 15 vandthe winding up of the spring 22.- Thefoutermost v cylinder 38 is .provided withav graduation scale, and numbers in th same way as that or@A ishown in said Fig.'2, and the indicating ofv the speed of the vehicle is in every way the,

same. The worm 30 on Ythe sleeve mounted on the Ishaft 26 is adapted to rotate a worm- Wheel by means of a suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism which operate numbering disks, which indicate the total mileage obtained by the vehicle. This feature, however, is not claimed herein, and. will not be specifically described.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In combination, Xed supporting means, disconnected alined driving and driven shafts rotatably mounted in said supporting means, relatively 4thin spaced rigid pieces of material rigidly connected to and arranged coaXially about said driven shaft with broad surfaces opposite each other,.and'

other relatively thin spaced rigid pieces of material rigidly connected to and arranged coaXially with the driving shaft, and bepieces, between them and having their broad surfaces adjacent toand spaced from the broad surfaces" of said other pieces.

2. In combination, disconnected alined driving and driven'shafts, a l'iXed support, said shafts being mounted in said support, a

coiled spring'having one end secured to said fixed support and the other end secured to said driven shaft, relatively` thin spaced rigid pieces of material 4rig-idly connected to and arranged coaxially about said' driven shaft with their broad surfaces opposite each other, and other relatively'thin spaced rigid pieces ofmaterial rigidly connected to and arranged coaxially with the driving shaft,

lng alternated with the irst-mentioned and being alternated between said rst-men tioned pieces and spaced therefrom. Y

3. In combination, disconnected alined vdriving and driven shafts, a frame having bearings for said shafts, a coiled springv in close juxtaposition, and with\the interspaces between said spaced pieces vforming a convoluted channel therebetween.

4. In combination, disconnected alined driving and driven shafts, a ixedsupport, bearings therefor in said support, a coiled spring having one end secured to the driven shaft and its other end secured to said fixed support, a cup-shaped body secured to one 'end of said driving shaft coaxially, spaced rigid relatively thin plates secured to said body in parallel `relation to each other, another cup-shaped body secured coaxially to said driven shaft and inclosing said plates at their outer edges in spaced relation thereto, and other spaced rigid relatively thin plates secured to the second-mentioned body Y -and extending between the first-mentioned plates in spaced relation thereto. i Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this'20th day of Nov. 1913. f STEAD A. ASQUITH.

WVitnesses:

W. I-I. BRUNN, G. C. KENNEDY. 

